Week 15 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise to me in this reading is how the loan and borrowing system worked out, especially in the case of the Saryamma family. It really surprised me the two ways they would help families out who could not pay back loans. If a family could not pay back a loan, the other families in the loan program would chip in to help. And if the family, for some reason, did not want to pay back the loan, they would pressure the family into doing so. This really surprises me on how well the families have each other's back and what they have to do for survival. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this reading, there was nothing I was confused about. The journal was well written and clear.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author is if he believes Microfinance is a good way to solve poverty indefinitely? I am curious to see why the author believes this would be a permanent solution for poverty. Especially since most of the people who need to take out loans, are not ones to count on.

The second question I would ask the author is what is the best way to know what your customer wants? I want to know what approach or what advice the author has to give to someone if they are trying to target the customer's needs. This is a big one, especially if they emphasized this throughout the article, that a business is open for the customer and what "works" for them.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I would not necessarily disagree with the author about this, but I would dispute that the transportation and meeting up with customers in these third world countries is not expensive. I have visited and stayed in third world countries before and they are nothing compared to the transportation costs here in America. In the article, the author states that transportation costs are expensive, when they are not, compared to how it is in the states. 

Final Reflection

1) Read through your blog from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

Reading through my entire blog definitely had me recalling some good and bad memories. During the beginning of the semester, I had no clue how this class was ran. I did not know the whole system on to "share before you declare". I just followed what the assignments due dates were and eventually it caught on to me what the declare section was for. Towards the end of the semester around the time of March and April, I missed a few posts because I had back to back exams and I like to put in time and effort in all the posts I write about. Those were definitely the bad experiences, but the good ones were the beginning and when I had time for my blog. 

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

The most formative experience was the post called "Top 5 World Problems". This I find so important because we find our solutions to the world's problems, which eventually have to be resolved. I love this just because I make up my own solutions to stuff but keep them to myself. I wish there was a suggestion box to the people charge of our world wide problems. The post I will remember for years and was the joyous one was what my friends had to say about me. I have the videos saved and appreciate every comment they had to say about me. The experience I am most proud of was my interview between Peggy Adams, the entrepreneur I interviewed in the beginning and the end of the semester. She gave me a lot of insight and is a great role model to have. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. And we repeated the mantra -- I am an entrepreneur. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

Now that I finally know the mindset, what it take to define yourself to be an entrepreneur, and what it entails, I am an entrepreneur. For two good reasons. One reason is I finally know how to spell entrepreneur without thinking twice. The second important reason is because I created a product that is unique and that people would use. I would have my own product line, business, income, and I would have to sell it all on my own for it to make it big. That is what entails to being an entrepreneur. Representing and selling yourself at all times, which is something I strongly believe that everyone should be able to do. 

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

A recommendation for students who are serious in the field on entrepreneurship is never back down. If you believe your product is something that is impactful on the community and you have a realistic goal, nothing is impossible. Don't let discouraging words from other keep you from your goals and visions. To perform well in this course, you have to be on top of deadlines and space out your time between assignments evenly. Know what assignments are worth the points and balance all your classes evenly. I know some of my friends who relied a lot on yellow dig, but being good with deadlines and getting accustomed to it will help you for your real world job in the future. To foster this mindset is know what type of student you are. If you forget things easily, put reminders on your phone or on devices you use often. This will get you accustom to not forgetting assignments because it will be in the back of your mind. Hopefully, this will get to the point without you having to make reminders and just remember dates on the top of your head.

Elevator Pitch No. 4

1. https://youtu.be/qdr5ZXUg41Y

Do you like to work out? Do you like to lift heavy things for fun? Well, here is your 2 in 1 water bottle called Evas. Evas has a detachable compartment that stores your personal items such as: your phone, your ID keys and credit cards. This water bottle is perfect for trips to amusement parks and of course, the gym. Never lose your stuff again and trust it with Evas! 

The changes I made in my video was wearing a sports bra and adding that Evas was a heavy water bottle and the ending catch phrase! 

Venture Concept No. 2

The world we live in today has evolved into the world of health and fitness. Now a days, many people follow on social media fitness fanatics and healthy food gurus. This transition of incorporating health and fitness into our every day lives is a positive turn out, especially due to the amount of financial costs the realm of healthcare, the government, and people in society have to pay and fund. Eating healthy and exercising consistently will help reduce that burden on the system of healthcare, but that is only if everyone contributed to keeping that promise to themselves. Lots of people who try and get into the routine often end up falling out of it. That is why my product Evos provides people with no excuses and a safe and organized way to keep their personal belongings at the gym or wherever they are practicing their healthy lifestyle. 

Evas is a 12 ounce water bottle that I have created. This water has a detachable bottom portion that is 3.75 inches long. In this detachable bottom, there is a mold that will be custom made for the phone the customer has and will also hold the individual’s credit cards, debit cards, keys, and ID’s. The water bottle will be able to hold 7 ounces of water and is quite aesthetically good looking. The water bottle is heavy, which is why I have a specific customer demographic. The water bottle can be used as a weight, since it will hold the material, the water, and their personal belongings. The reason for the 7 ounces of liquid capacity is due to the mold in the bottom compartment, which fits the person's smartphone, ID's, and cards. This is also due to how tall the water bottle is, which is 14 inches long. This type of water bottle is for someone who is all about fitness and keeping their items in one place. 

The purpose of the detachable bottom is to be able to remove it from the actual water part of the water bottle and place it in a secure place like a locker or safe, that way your belongings will remain in one place and do not distract you or inconvenience your work out. There have been some questions about people being able to identify the water bottle for having valuables and having them stolen, but the detachable bottom was a 4 digit code before anyone can have access to it AND also has a GPS location like Find My iPhone has for Apple products. The service will be able to notify and tell the person exactly where the water bottle is, so if there is someone who takes your valuables from you, you know where they are headed to. 

This water bottle was designed to fit and make the lives of gym goers more at ease and organized. I know I am one to misplace and lose things at the gym, such as my phone. I am also one to use a water bottle, and if I were to this water bottle, it would be a 2 in 1, since I always have my phone on me AND I always have a water bottle with me. The reason for the name Evas is the purpose of the water bottle. Evans means “one” in Greek. One for being two in one product. I know this product would improve the lives of many, such as organization and optimization of space and having your valuables in one place. 

If we are getting into specifics, I am targeting muscle heads who carry their protein shakes with them in their hands. I would consider a person as dedicated to their fitness somewhere around the age of 26-37. For women, it would be a little younger, from 24-34. I know this because I used to work in a facility where there would be older men and women working out around those ages. I also go to the gym a lot with people around these ages, and they are super passionate about their bodies, staying healthy and fit, and staying hydrated. I know with this product, their lives would be easier to handle and maintain their passions and goals. 

This product means a lot to me, because it is a solution to a careless act to one self; which is loosing valuables. If you pay a lot of money for a well made water bottle that is basically carrying your wallet, keys and phone… there is a very low percentage of misplacing or loosing this water bottle. Even if it does get misplaces, you know where to find it due to the app created like thinned My iPhone one, to retrieve your valuables. It also has the 4 digit code as an extra form of protection. So if your water bottle is misplaced, no one can have access to your belongings without knowing your code. 

2. Most of my feedback contained positive remarks about my idea and improvements to make on my product. The students who commented on my post said that "it was a very good idea" and that "they had never heard of [this] before". Which is what I was aiming for this entire semester. People definitely understood the concept of being hydrated and not loosing their items. Some of the improvements students suggested was presenting a photo and here is a sketch of the water bottle below. 

3. For this venture concept, I kept everything the same except I changed more of the reason why the water bottle is 7 ounces of liquid capacity. I explained and hopefully give a more logical reason and will attract more costumers who live this type of lifestyle. 

Google Gold

1) A discussion of your general approach and strategy to search engine optimiation (SEO). What were some of the activities you did for each blog post to pursue SEO? 

Ways that I promoted my SEO was definitely making sure I had something written in the labels of each post. This is a target strategy that people use to narrow down their results. Another way I promoted SEO was posting my blog on my twitter account profile. When you search my name on google, my twitter account pops up and there is an easy access to my blog!

2) What were your keywords. How did you select those keywords? Did you change or refine your keywords through the semester?

Some keywords I used were #gators, #uf, and #entrepreneurship. Gators because, well GO GATORS. And of course, UF is one I use at least 10 times a day when I am on a search engine because it entails my UF email, UF e-learning, and UF self services. Throughout the semester, I did not refine any of my keywords. Other keywords I used were #waterbottle and #2in1 because my product is a water bottle and is something that is 2 in 1. Holds everything!  

3) How did you use social media to enhance your SEO efforts? What were your surprises or general impression of using social media to improve your blog's profile? Was social media generally receptive of your blog, or did it get ignored?

I mostly used twitter, since I follow a lot and am followed by a lot of UF students. Another reason I used twitter is it is a spontaneous blog that just allows only a certain number of characters in the box. The google blog is one that takes time but is unlimited in the amount of characters you can write. My impression of using social media was definitely increasing the amount of blog views and getting my name out there. 

4) What was your most "viral" post? In other words, which post obtained the most traffic? Why do you think?

The post that obtained the most traffic was the one where I chose 5 of my friends to talk about what was my unique quality. I think the reason for that was because I promoted that on twitter and tagged my friends when I shared that link. They definitely enjoyed seeing themselves on my blog. 

5) Finally, did you make it to the first page of Google results for your keywords? If not, what page of results did you make it to?

Sadly, I did not make it to the first page of Google results, but I did make it for the results for #entrepreneurship and #uf together. 

Week 14 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this reading was the explicit saying of "not punishing" failures. I have always thought failures should be punished, but in this section the author explains why we should not punish ourselves, but learn from them.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this reading, the reference to corporate entrepreneurship throughout the beginning of the chapter confused me, but I eventually distinguished it correctly as I read more. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author would be if he has ever used strategic entrepreneurship before? I want to know his experience in planning. The second question would be what obstacles has he faced in corporate entrepreneurship/innovation? I want to know this because I want to know what obstacles he faced and how he handled them.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

In this chapter, I do not disagree with anything the author stated. 

Very Short Interview, Part 2

For this exercise, I would like you to revisit that first conversation you had with an entrepreneur. In that initial interview, you asked an entrepreneur three questions. Now, revisit this interview and think about the questions you asked and the answers they provided you. From where you stand now, what is your impression of that initial interview?

I revisited my Very Short Interview No. 1 and found that my questions sounded like a beginner in an entrepreneurship track/class. From that interview, I learned a lot of advice from an entrepreneur that accomplished herself through her ups and downs. 

Second, visit the entrepreneur again. Record the interview if possible. The three questions you ask this time are entirely up to you. Let your experiences in this course drive what questions you ask -- and that will be very different for each of you! 

I interviewed Peggy Adams, who is a mother of two and was a fashion designer for children's clothing for decades and also, an author. She is well experienced in the field and is very wise. What makes her an entrepreneur is her fashion design for children's clothing was all created and designed by her.

1. How did you handle being a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time?
It was hard at first, like anything usually is. But I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I had to sacrifice going out with friends and a lot of my free time was dedicated to spending time with my kids because that was the only time I was able to. My mother helped out a lot in raising my kids.

2. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?
Yes, and that is normal. Especially in the field of entrepreneurship, you will feel alone and down at times. But when you finally make it, it feels right and worth it.

3. Do you think entrepreneurs have to have good connections/networks?
Absolutely yes. You need to know and meet certain people in order to stay afloat in this business. There are some people I could not imagine not meeting because they were a part of my successful business. 

Third, after the interview, try to gather some sense of how far you have come in this class. In your post, discuss your comfort level in talking about entrepreneurship in this interview now, compared to three months ago. Did the entrepreneur convey a sense that they thought you had progressed in your journey?

I feel very comfortable in talking about the business of entrepreneurship. Compared to three months ago, I definitely have learned a lot about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and the strategic planning, money talk, and persuasion that has to come within a person to be a successful one. I have progressed a lot and I know I can approach anyone in this field with ease, which Peggy brought out of me. 

Celebrating Failure

This semester has been a tough one. I am a person who is involved but always keep my academics first before anything else. This semester was hard to balance that, especially since I am taking even hard courses as I go on through my journey here at UF. I had to drop a class this semester. It was not due to not knowing the material, but performing bad on the exams. That was due to having my volunteering for Shands on Wednesdays before my exams for that class. Shands is a very competitive programs to get into and stay in, which is why I could not miss volunteering the days of my exams. My volunteering was a 20 minute drive from campus and from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and my exam time was at 12:50 pm. My biggest failure was time management and not moving around my volunteering to avoid performing bad on the day of exams.
I learned that it is okay to drop a class, because you will know better for next time you take it.
Failure is definitely embarrassing and not something I feel like sharing with people. I learned that I am human and that humans make mistakes. Clearly, I know that this will never happen again because I never want to feel embarrassed from sharing how I am doing in school. This is a learning experience so I can learn more about myself and how to balance failure and success. Although, this class is very difficult and lots of my friends have also dropped it, this class has shown me that I can take risks for the better.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this chapter was the amount of planning and time it takes for managing entrepreneur growth. I never knew there were life cycles for managing them. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this chapter, nothing really was confusing to me. I understood everything discussed.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
One question I would ask the author is what type of tips would he give entrepreneurs for keeping their time manageable? The second question I would ask the author is why innovation is so important in the entrepreneur world?  

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

In this chapter, I do not disagree nor think the author is wrong about anything mentioned in this chapter. 

Week 12 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this chapter for me was the research about entrepreneurial and strategic actions often intended to find a new market place for a firm to create wealth. There is a lot of studies and proven facts about how important the quality of planning must be in order for events to run smoothly. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this chapter, there was nothing confusing to me. I absolutely love the way the author organized the chapter and I love organizing! 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

First question would be, when has he ever seen strategic planning fail?" And the second question would be, "What strategic positioning does he use?" because he explains how important it is to have one and I would like to know what his is. 

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not think the author was wrong about anything in the chapter. Especially sine he gave a lot of facts and information I did not know about strategic planning before.